Sextant rest



Dec. 9, 1924."

F. W. KRETSCHMER sExTANT REST Filed June 7; 1925 FWKRETSCHMER ATTORNEYS W/TNFSSES Patented Dec. 9, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FELIX WALTER KRETSCHMER, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

SEXTANT REST.

Appleation'led. June 7,

Tc all 'whom t may concern Be it known that I, FELIX 1V. KRETSCH- MER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of Yew York, have invented a new and Improved Sextant Rest, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to seXtant rests and has for an object to provide an improved construction wherein an accurate observation may be more easily taken.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sextant restin which a freely rotatable member acts as a support, the same being arranged to engage the face of the observer during the time of taking the observation.

A further object, more specifically, is to provide a rotatable eyepiece for the top of the telescope of a. sextant with the parts so arranged that the usual action of t-aking the observation may take place and at the same time a support provided which will permit the free swinging of the sextant on the axis of the telescope.

In the accompanying drawing-n Figure 1 is a side view of a seXt-ant with a telescope and rest disclosing an embodiment of the invention applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a. sectional viewthrough Figure 1, approximately on line 22- Figure is a transverse sectional view through Figure "2 on line Referring to the accompanying drawing by numerals, 1 indicates a sextant of any desired kind, which seXtant is provided with a bracket 2 of the usual construction, which bracket accommodates the threaded shaft 3, which shaft at one end is screwed into the telescope supporting ring 1 and the opposite end accommodates a clamping nut 5. rThe ring 4f is internally threaded so as to accommodate the threaded end 6 of the stationary section 7 of the telescope. The movable section 8 of the telescope slides freely back and forth in order that a proper focus may be secured. A sleeve 9 surrounds the ring 4 and is internally threaded, said ring having an inturned flange 1() fitted between the ring 4L and the shoulder 11 of section 7 when the section has been screwed properly into position as illustrated in Figure Q. The sleeve 9'is provided with a slot 12 to permit a proper adjustment in respect 1923. Serial No. 643,997.

to the bracket 2 and is also supplied with a set screw 13 extending into the groove 14: of the tubular support 15, which tubular support is externally threaded and is screwed into the sleeve 9 any desired distance and is then locked in place by the set screw 18. The support 15 is provided with an annular smooth section 16 on which is mounted the annular section 17 of the rest 18, which rest is provided with a curved edge 19 adapted to engage the face around the eye when the device is in use.

The eyepiece 18 is integral with the annular section 17 which is rotatably mounted on the support 15 having a smooth section 16. Preferably the section 17 is loosely mounted on the section 15 and is at all times freely rotatable thereon whereby when the eyepiece is pressed tightly against the face, the sextant may be freely swung back and forth while the eyepiece remains stationary against the face.

From Figure 1 it will be observed that the rest 18 is also provided with a depending portion Q0 merging into the section 17 whereby a flaring and larger opening is presented so vthat the edge 19 may properly press against the face while the eye is permitted to function in the usual manner.

In use, the sextant is held up in front of the eye and the rest or eyepiece 18 is pressed against the face in such a manner that the eye of the observer may loo-k through the telescope. In order to ascertain whether or not the seXtant is vertical, the observer swings the seXtant in the arc of a circle with the center of the circle forming the axis of the telescope. As the observer swings the sentant he will note that the sun. stars or other point observed will have alow point and when the telescope is aimed at that low point, it indicates that the seX'tant is vertical and a proper angle may be secured, after which, the location of the ship may be worked out in the usual manner.

Heretofore, the telescope was held a short distance from the eye and, consequently, it was difiicult to hold the instrument steady by reason of the rolling of the ship and the act-ion of the wind. In addition to steadyingl the seXtant by reason of bracing the same against the face, the rest or eyepiece 18 shuts out all the light from the eye except that passing through the telescope. whereby it assists in this manner in securing a more accurate observation. Py pressing the rest 18 against the face, part of the weight is also taken o'tf the arm whichagain assis-ts in permitting the observer to more steadily and accurately hold the instrument.

What I claim is l. The combination with a sextant provided with a, telescope, of an eyepiece mounted to free-ly rotate without changing t-he focus ofi the telescopes, said eyepiece heilig formed with an edge adapted to engage the face when the telescope is held adjacent the eye whereby part of the weight of the instrument is carried by the face-of the observer.

2. In -a sextant resty-a tubular siipporti-ng member connected to the telescope off the sextant, and a freely rotatable eyepiece mounted'fon; said supporting member, said eyepiece being mounted to rotate without changing the yfocus oit' the telescope, said eyepiece being freely rotatable ont-he support whereby the eyepiece may be .pressed against the face in operation andthe :se-xtant swung back and fort-h vwithout shiftthreaded 'sleeve connected with said telescope, a tubular support screwed into said sleeve, means for locking the tubular' support in various positions, and an eyepiece rotatably mount-ed on said support.

4f. The combination with a seXtant provided with a telescope, of a sleeve mounted stationary Ain respect to the seXtant, a tubular'support mounted in the sleeve andadjustable thereiinineans for locking thev'tubular support in any adjusted position, said tubular support being provided with ra reduced annular bearing, yand an eyepiece formed with an annular ring sectiontting ont-o Ysaid bearingand with a `flaring; port-ion formed with the edge adapted to .engage .the face of the vobserver when the sexta-nt .is in use.

FELIX WALTER KRETSCHMER. 

